Queensland Rail has warned the small number of people who bring prohibited items on to the rail network that they could not only face hefty fines, but potential criminal charges as well.
Chief Executive Officer Nick Easy said although it was a rare occurrence, prohibited items were not tolerated on board train services or platforms.
“It is every person’s right to feel safe and comfortable while using Queensland Rail’s services,” Mr Easy said.
“We make no apologies for cracking down on the few people who do the wrong thing by bringing prohibited items on to the network and seek to impact on others’ experiences.”
Mr Easy said Queensland Rail worked in partnership with the Queensland Police Railway Squad to target anti-social behaviour on the network, including the possession of prohibited items, and to enhance community safety.
“The 80-officer strong Railway Squad provides a highly visible uniform presence on the rail network and deters, detects, investigates and charges offenders for criminal and anti-social behaviour,” he said.
“These officers are supported by Queensland Rail’s 24-hour security monitoring team, who can tap into more than 12,000 CCTV cameras across the network, as well as Authorised Officer teams, security guards, and TransLink Senior Network Officers.
“Thanks to our dedicated focus to safety, Queensland Rail is proud to have been recognised by Canstar Blue in 2019 as the only railway in Australia to receive a five-star customer rating for safety, marking this achievement for the fifth consecutive survey.”
The warning comes after Queensland Rail released CCTV footage exclusively to Channel 7 of a small number of people who were quickly apprehended by the Railway Squad for bringing prohibited items on to the network, including a snake, a sword, and a knife.
Mr Easy said before starting their journey, customers should be aware of more common items not allowed on to the Queensland Rail network.
“We want to make sure our customers’ commutes are as safe and comfortable as possible,” he said.
“We urge customers not to bring any sizeable objects that can’t be put under a seat or in a storage area; animals, other than guide dogs, hearing dogs or other assistance animals; and not smoke or consume food, alcohol or other drinks when they travel on the network.”
Anyone caught bringing prohibited items on to the network could face fines of up to $266.
